Tuesday, November 13, 2012

Windsurfing returns to the Olympics for the 2016 Rio Games in Brazil. If you followed thereports from the ISAF Annual meeting on Friday, November 9, it seemed it was all over for windsurfing as an Olympic sport. KBR (kite board racing) had weathered a challenge to reopen the debate which could have given windsurfing the chance of being reinstated as the Olympic Board Event. "The move to re-open failed by just two votes to reach the required threshold,
but got support from 26 of the 38 voting delegates, at the Council Meeting..."reported Sail-World. Kiting was safe for the day, but on Saturday everything changed...

Scuttlebutt explained: "Dun Laoghaire, Ireland (November 10, 2012) - The ISAF Annual Conference drew to
a close today as the final decisions affecting the sport moving forward were
made.

A significant focus of the Annual Conference was on the 2016
Olympic Events and Equipment, specifically the Equipment used for the Board
Event. At the ISAF Mid Year meeting in May, the ISAF Council chose kiteboarding
for the Event. This decision caught both the windsurfing and kiteboarding
communities by surprise, with the former leading a concerted effort to have the
Council re-open the discussion.

For the decision of the Council to be
re-opened, three-fourths of the Council must agree to do so. When the Council
failed to reach that percentage, it was assumed that kiteboarding would be the
Equipment used for the Board Event at the Games in Rio de Janeiro. However,
following the Council meeting, there was a procedural move by the ISAF General
Assembly that upset the apple cart.

Part of the ISAF General Assembly's
business for the 106 Member National Authorities (MNAs) who were present was to
review any ISAF Regulations made or amended in any substantive way by Council
since the last Ordinary Meeting which was in November 2011.

In November
2011, the Regulations specified RS:X Equipment as the Board Event. But the ISAF
Mid Year meeting in May changed the Equipment for the Board Event to
Kiteboarding, and that apparently qualified as a "substantive" change.

All the General Assembly needed was a simple majority of votes, and
after a lengthy debate the MNAs approved the first proposal which reinstated
Men's and Women's Boards - RS:X."

The New Zealand news website, Stuff.co.nz shared this behind the scenes look: "Unlike the council, where members represented areas or confederations and some, like Oceania's New Zealand delegate Ralph Roberts, were instructed to vote in line with their area's wishes (the majority of Oceania nations preferred kiteboarding), the vote at general assembly level was made by representatives of the individual national authorities.

Yachting New Zealand has consistently made no secret of its preference for windsurfing to remain at the Rio Olympics in 2016, with kiteboarding to be given more time to develop and possibly looked at for 2020. It made a formal submission along those lines in July and publicly reaffirmed its view last week. It has got its wish, with the national authority members voting against the council members.

New Zealand has a rich history in windsurfing; seven of the nation's 18 Olympic sailing medals have come in that class, and there has been vociferous support for its reinstatement around the world. Some national bodies apologised for voting for kitesurfing in the first place and others, like Spain, claimed they had been confused by the process.

Before the AGM, both YNZ chief executive David Abercrombie and windsurfing great Barbara Kendall said they believed windsurfing would fall short of the 75 per cent required at council level but the decision had a great chance of being overturned at the general assembly."

Rory Ramsden, RS:X Class Secretary, summarized the upwelling of protest over the last 6 months: "This battle was fought using all the levers available. 31,254 people signed the online petition. 17,960 joined the Appealpage on Facebook (Thanks Adam). 14,342 followed the Vote Windsurfing Facebook page. And countless others worked tirelessly in the background to lobby MNAs and turn the groundswell of opinion into a tsunami of voters at the General Assembly."

The Atheletes Commission - The Sailors Voice, a FB Group, offered an arena for the robust and sometimes combative dialogue between the 2 sports. Ben Barger shared a conciliatory sentiment: "With new strong leadership (at ISAF) I hope we will ensure that all athletes have a stable platform to invest their dreams. The Windsurfing and Kiting decision was one of high difficulty. I hated being here everyday this week (at the annual meeting), but I had to fight for what I believe was best for the sport. We should not celebrate, we have been placed against an outstanding sport of Kiting and their loss is no ones gain."

Ben Proffitt put it bluntly, "Well i think that worked out pretty well really... As it Gave Windsurfing a big kick up the ass!! We needed it.. also it will work out good for kite racing as they get time to sort their sh%t out.. which i think they have a fair bit of work to do!" Billionaire, Richard Branson offered this: "It is a huge disappointment for all the kitesurfers worldwide who have been training hard since it was announced in May that kitesurfing was going to be in the Rio Olympics. What a shame too for all the windsurfers who spent the last year training to become kitesurfers.."

Two of the most popular forms of sailing today are windsurfing and kitesurfing. An unfortunate limitation on the number of Olympic athletes and medals created this unnecessary drama and competition between the 2 sports for their rightful and logical place in the Olympics. While both sides now know what the emotional roller coaster feels like, the RS:X Class can celebrate while KBR hopes for a early December reversal at the IOC Meeting. On their new page, Get Kiteboarding Into The Olympics: "Well a little bit of light after all perhaps as it seems the Olympic Committee has to approve the changes ISAF have just made again to the 2016 Olympic Sailing slate and they might not as the IOC was in favor of having kiteboarding included. An opportunity for ISAF to make a strong case for an extra medal for kiteboarding after all, it would be an impressive start for the new ISAF Council if they could achieved this. This is a long shot but if it could be achieved..."

Antoine Albeau broke his own Windsurfing World Speed Record with a 500 meter course run of 50.59 knots in Luderitz, Namibia on November 13, 2012. Anders Bringdal was the first that day to break the 50 knot barrier with runs of 50.41 and 50.46. Then Albeau tied and set the new world record with runs of 50.46 and 50.59. Many new world records were set on the event's 4th day including the new 38.12 knots Tandem World Record (1 board - 2 sails - 2 riders). Luderitz Speed Challenge

Maui is 6 hours behind EDT. 10 AM Maui = 4 PM New York. For the after competition schedule of events each day, go here. Check out the Maui County Windward Waters Forecast. Have a look at Ho'okipa from Mama's Beach Cam. No announcement yet as to the exact time and date for the Champions Charity Heat.

DaNews will be collating the many different sources reporting on the event everyday.

Andre Paskowski presents..."A movie filmed at Gollito’s home and birthplace El Yaque (Venezuela), in
Sotavento (Fuerteventura, Spain) and Tarifa (Spain). The movie follows Gollito’s
story of becoming World Champion from the beginning using the latest slow motion
cameras and techniques," reported Continent 7.

"Magic Moments presents Andre Paskowski’s fresh outlook on life. It presents moments that bring him joy, and an explanation for his passion for filming and producing movies. There are many magic moments that Andre sees through his lens. Seeing that magic while producing a movie like Rewarded."

For more information on these 2 videos and a chance to help Andre with this and future projects, go here.

Tuesday, October 16, 2012

Back in late July of this year, Jimmie Hepp put together a tributealbum saluting the King and Queen of Hookipa. He reported: "I'm sad to say Aloha to Mark and Elena. They are embarking on another adventure/chapter to their lives. Tomorrow they leave to a new home in Florida."

Mark and Elena Angulo have moved to Florida and live about 30 miles south of me. Just settling in from a major move, I asked a few questions.

First, a BIG Welcome to Florida and gulp, are you kidding, you left Maui to move here? This must have been a big, big decision. Why did you leave and what are your plans for the future?

Thank you for the warm welcome, Elena and I are super excited to be here. I imagine to many people it would seem strange that we would pack up and leave Maui at this juncture in our lives. Obviously we love windsurfing and we're still super active in the Maui, Hookipa arena.
But an interesting thing happened to us at the early part of this year. We both started to consider a change in our lives. I moved to Maui when I was 17 from Oahu, so I have always been in Hawaii. Elena lived there for a stretch back in the day, and we've been together there for a long time now, kind of doing the same thing. We love Maui, we love windsurfing, but we wanted a change of scenery, almost as simple as
that. People forget, I grew up surfing on Oahu, so if I end up surfing some little beach break somewhere when I'm old, I'm all good. Elena loves to surf, so we came to Florida.

Of course there are other logistics involved, like half of our family is in Europe, so it's easier to visit each other. We need sun and ocean and weather that's not too cold. We have other interests that we want to pursue, etc. Also, I love board building, so it would seem obvious that we would try to find a healthy, vibrant, surf oriented community to move to.

What about your board building business?

I plan on continuing my love of building boards. I was building tons of SUPs and kiteboards and sailboards when I left, so I will for sure keep doing that. My Sups are sick, light and strong, people will love them!

Any advice for a light wind wave board?

As far as light wind wave boards, I've made quite a few large volume boards. Just gotta keep them light and fast , and loose. We haven't really got into the water yet as we have been remodeling our new home and cleaning up, and building my new shaping room.

Will you visit Maui again?

As far as sailing goes right now, we will probably go back to Maui in early 2013 for awhile; we also look forward to traveling around a bit more, although the truth is I like where we live, just outside Sebastian, so you'll have to pull me away.

A lot of people tripped out that we left, especially that I would leave Maui and Hookipa. But I spent a lot of years at that break, punishing my body, coming up with new moves. I look forward to transitioning to a different mindset, one that compliments less pain in my body for sure, a new adventure, with the love of my life, Elena. Don't get me wrong, I still have the desire, even more than ever to rip hard. It's just that I will include a wider venue into my life. Hookipa is always there, and I know it well!

I'm going into my shaping room now, so if anyone is interested... email me at info@markangulo.com

"Wave 360s, goiters and contorted tweaked aerials - Mark Angulo's innovation and natural ability led to the creation of modern wave sailing and many of his moves are still the inspiration and aspiration for our sport's top athletes today. While his contorted style drew him event wins and worldwide accolades in the golden days of the sport, his head and body were twisting him in other ways too. In a frank and powerful interview with John Carter, Angulo tells about conquering his demons and finding his way back to the water, where already he's inventing new moves and being recognised as 'the one' to watch at Ho'okipa." The John Carter Interview

Mark interviews the young and talented Dax Barker.

"Mark Angulo is a living, breathing legend of our sport. A shape shifting, Peter Pan figure who, since setting the world on fire as Ho'okipa's youth sensation of the 80s, has continued to innovate and out-perform hundreds of young pretenders...One of the questions from the interview:

Hottest types of board shaped for custom customers right now?
I'm making a lot of different boards right now. A lot of sizes, from 65L up to 105L. Mostly I try to get my customers out of their comfort zone. I want them to be open to try something different. I spend a lot of time trying to de-program them from all the dis-information they’ve been spoon-fed over the years. It’s hard, but they never come back unhappy. It’s all about having fun and getting better, no matter how old you are. Most of my boards are going to foreign visitors that are looking for a new experience..." The umi Interview from Windsurfer International

"Mark and Elena Angulo are the windsurfing power-couple of the North Shore, often seen ripping waves at Ho’okipa together. Mark Angulo is considered one of the best and most innovative windsurfers in the world. He lives in Haiku with his wife Elena, who is also an avid pro-windsurfer and is a huge fan of her husband. Out of the water, the Angulos pursue their separate businesses. Mark builds Angulo windsurfing boards for clients all over the world and Elena designs her high fashion bikini collection Pompei Beach. The couple are professionally sponsored by Naish, Powerex, Dakine, and Black Project Fins. Maui Now met with the Angulos to discuss their lifestyle as professional windsurfers and water-sport gear entrepreneurs." The Maui Now Interview

"Something’s not right if you turn up at Ho’okipa on a windy day and Elena Pompei isn’t rigging her sail or already in the water! Saying she’s passionate about windsurfing is an understatement. Almost always the first one in and the last one out, she spends hours upon hours in the water and sails in some of the gnarliest conditions alongside some of the best sailors. Elena’s stamina keeps her out sailing all day and it’s pretty much only the darkness, a dinner engagement or too many surfers in the water that get her out onto dry land!! Elena is multi-talented and successful in so many things she turns her hand to. She is not only a great windsurfer but also a business owner, swimwear designer and maintains over 7000 palm trees! Originally, hailing from Italy..." The Fishbowl Diaries Interview by Sophie Louca

Thursday, September 27, 2012

The last stop on the 2012 PWA World Tour, set to run September 28 - October 7, is in the coastal town of Westerland in Sylt, Germany on the shore of the North Sea. If conditions allow, there will competition in all 3 disciplines: Wave - men and women, Slalom - men, Freestyle - men. The PWA says, "this is one the biggest and longest running windsurfing events
on the planet...200,000 spectators
on the beach..."

Below is a scaled Iframe of the PWA Live Page where they mash up all the live reporting from the event on one page. This page is a significant development that sets a new standard for reporting and promoting competitive windsurfing. To turn off the volume, click the pause button in the middle of the video player or mute the volume button just below the screen. The half scale Iframe page below is fully active just like the page it mirrors: all the button/links work. To see better, zoom your page. The latest addition to this page is the judges Live Score Sheet located just to the right of the video player during competition. This Iframe may not scale correctly in Chrome or Firefox.

Remember, Sylt is 6 hours ahead of EDT.

(Live Page has been changed because of automated audio feed from PWA Home Page when not doing a contest.)

Booms · I had hoped to collate a massive survey of all the booms available to North America. Putting all the critical dimensions in one place so comparisons could be easily viewed was perhaps a good idea, but alas, it was too much data to effectively assemble and use in the space of this blog. However, I did learn a lot. First and foremost, there are a lot of booms available to windsurfers in North America and most likely the rest of the western hemisphere. I found 11 different companies that either make or produce uniquely branded booms. We hold these truths to be self evident...better sail performance comes from booms that flex less...carbon booms are stiffer than aluminum booms...carbon is longer lasting than aluminum...carbon costs more than aluminum.

Booms have 3 basic parts: the head, the part that ties to the mast; the body, the part you grip; the tailpiece, the part that adjusts to fit different sail sizes. Boom bodies utilize either the stronger monocoque, one piece construction, or the less expensive, 2 separate arms joined at the head construction. Booms are built from carbon or aluminum. Monocoque construction is considered superior to all other methods.

In recent years, boom heads have received the most innovation and development. Three outstanding examples can be found at Maui Sails, North Sails and Streamlined. Surprisingly, boom arm diameters differ from brand to brand, albeit only slightly, from the smallest carbon arm by Severne at 25 mm and Aeron's 26 mm aluminum booms to Maui Sail's 32.5 mm big race booms. Carbon's appreciably lighter weight is more noticeable as the boom gets bigger. Similarly sized carbon booms are very close in weight from brand to brand. One dimension usually not considered when comparing brands is maximum boom width which does vary from brand to brand.

If you're looking for advice as to what to buy, have a look at this forum thread. Also, contact the distributor or the manufacturer and ask how easy it will be to get replacement parts in case something breaks.

Compare Chinook's weights below. Note that the Sport (Al) is their price point model utilising the 2 arm boom body and made overseas. Both the Pro 1 Carbon and Alloy (Al) use a monocoque construction.

Product Name · Boom Dimensions · Weight in Pounds

Pro 1 Carbon 135 - 185 · 4.55

Pro 1 Carbon 150 - 200 · 4.75

Pro 1 Carbon 169 - 226 · 5.15

Pro 1 Carbon 180 - 246 · 5.50

Pro 1 Carbon 200 - 260 · 6.94

Pro 1 Alloy 135 - 197 · 5.60

Pro 1 Alloy 150 - 212 · 6.00

Pro 1 Alloy 165 - 227 · 6.24

Pro 1 Alloy 185 - 247 · 8.30

Pro 1 Alloy 225 - 287 · 8.90

Sport 129 - 191 · 5.85

Sport 152 - 214 · 6.25

Sport 182 - 244 · 6.80

Youth 120 - 160 · 3.5

Every brand makes an appropiately sized kids/youth boom. Please Note: survey information for every brand below are missing this, usually just one boom, in the survey totals.

1. Chinook produces 3 different models. They have been making booms here in the US since 1987 and, some will say, make the most widely used booms in North America. Contact.

2. Maui Sails started making booms in 2006. Their unique boom head, wide body tail pieces and the industry's largest race boom are just some of the examples that demonstrate the creative energy that has gone into their boom lines. Only their carbon booms feature the monocoque construction. Aluminum booms are also available. Contact.

3. North Sails makes 4 different model lines: 1 carbon and 3 aluminum. All use monocoque construction. Their boom lines have lots of innovative engineering. Featured on all, is their unique boom head with multiple trim and tunning options. Contact.

4. Aeron makes 4 different model lines: 1 carbon, 1 aluminum carbon hybrid, 2 aluminum. Lots of innovation from this new company including the industry's smallest diameter aluminum arms at 26 mm, a new V Grip extrusion for improved stiffness in aluminum and a hybrid aluminum body with a carbon tail piece. All booms are monocoque construction. For more product info, Contact.

5. Streamlined stands outs in the boom market for their innovative boom head available for sdms and rdms. They make the "Josh Angulo True Performance Booms" in 3 sizes: 140 - 190 * 170 - 220 * 155 - 205.

11. Naish makes 3 booms, all are carbon and and monocoque construction. Contact.

Fiberspar (the windsurfing component company) still turns up on retail websites, but has most likely gone out of business. They have no website and their former distributor, Bic North America, dropped them a year and a half ago. Bic N.A. does have a small supply of the twist locks. Windance sells the front end repair kit.

Maui's first big swell of the season...Jeff Bennett rang the bell by passing on the swell forecast from the famous, Pat Caldwell: "...Surf should build to high levels overnight Saturday, with the episode peaking Sunday morning from 320-340 degrees. Surf should drop to within moderate to near high levels on Monday." Jimmie Hepp caught the action of the 1st BIG Day of Winter 2012: Bernd Roediger was the first one out:

Bernd Roediger all in on the gnarly day...windorwithoutadded: "...the lifeguards were reported to have rescued at least 9 people and though it was
crowded there were plenty of waves for everyone. uppers regulars enjoyed 25 foot
faces (gulp), broken masts, and big westerlies..."

Tuesday, September 18, 2012

Kia Cold Hawaii· Last year this wave contest redefined gnarly...I mean, it was totally gnarly. And all of its gnarliness was broadcast live, setting a visual standard for all future windsurfing event webcasts. This year, first possible start of competition is Monday, September 17, at 1:00 PM local time (7:00 AM EDT - Denmark is 6 hours ahead of the US Eastern Daylight Time). Skippers meetings, starting Tuesday are set for 9:30 AM (local) everyday. Sunday, September 23, is the last possible day of competition.

Klitmoller, Denmark on the shore of the North Sea, is the site of the penultimate event of the 2012 PWA World Tour. You can watch this wave contest live on the PWA website, the Cold Hawaii Website or this blog. Visit the PWA websitefor all of their regular coverage including the live video webcast, John Carter photos, daily video reports, Chris Yates' written daily event summaries, his live ticker, heat to heat reporting, bracket results and overall event standings. There's more coverage and reporting on the Cold Hawaii event website. The "absolute crown jewel" of their website is the Live Center where they will bring together the live video streaming, live scoring, live chat and live tweeting, all on one page. The scoring system will utilize the judges' electronic tablets which we will be able to follow live during the webcast. "...when Philip Köster, lands a double
forward, we will know how perfect the judges thought it was almost instantly and
whether it is good enough to beat a Kauli Seadi push loop forward..."

.Fiona Wylde, 15 years old, was nominated for 3 awards this year. The Columbia Gorge Windsurfing Association nominated her for 2. She won the CGWA Award, Grom of the Year. They wrote: "She is the most stoked windsurfer I know. It doesn’t matter that she is a grom, she encourages and exudes stoke like no one else. Fiona continues to dominate windsurf competitions around the country. She has been killing it on the AWT. She was a staple in the Gorge Cup race series and she did extremely well at the US Windsurfing Nationals." She was 3rd overall in the 2012 Gorge Cup Race Series, finishing behind her dad, MacRae Wylde, and series winner, Bruce Peterson. In Slalom at the US Nationals this year she was 14th overall. She ranks first on the 2012 AWT after the Hatteras Wave Jam.

Fiona also won the Windsurfer of the Year contest (2012) held by the Association of Wind and Watersport Industries. The AWSI is an organization which represents the North American manufacturers, retailers and schools in the sports of Windsurfing, Kiteboarding and SUP. The contest promotes excellence in windsurfing and the winner is determined by public online voting based on an entrant’s video submission. Go to Windsport to see her contest video submission and her gracious thank you acknowledgement for being chosen AWSI Windsurfer of the Year.

The RS:X Class has requested a judicial review in a London Court of the ISAF decision to add kite racing and drop the RS:X Class from the 2016 Olympics in Brazil. Tactically, the class wants to expedite the review and the ISAF would rather delay. Both parties are focused on how the review might effect the ISAF annual meeting in early November. The ISAF Council stands by their mid year decision. No date for the judicial review has been set. An Executive Summary is available with Q & A's.

Rory Ramsden, RS:X Class Secretary, recently reported: "Our wish is to resolve the current situation with all speed and reach a settlement which ensures that the Windsurfing versus Kitesurfing question is put back on the table for open discussion at the ISAF Conference in November, culminating in a revote on the event/equipment to be used for the boards event in 2016 Olympic Regatta."

If this Olympic kitesurf versus windsurf debate grabs your interest, have a look at the Facebook Group, ISAF Atheletes Commission - The Sailors Voice!. They cover it all, from deeply researched fact based assertions to the old fashioned forum styled flamethrowing arguments. And if you find you just can't get enough of this kerfuffle, then you're sure to like the Facebook Group, Keep Windsurfing Olympic, that hears from both sides of the debate. The Petition to keep windsufring an Olympic discipline has 30,785 signatures.

The latest issue of Windsport brings us the first person testimony of some aspiring Olympians from around the world who are affected by the ISAF decision. Buatista Birkner, 16 year old from Argentina, wrote: "The first thing I thought when I heard the decision was that the world was over. For the next couple of days I was depressed and didn't even want to go train. But then I realized that this sport is everything to me: It's my life..." If you can't find a copy of the magazine, have a look at this scanned copy of the article.

US Olympian Bob Willis has already announced he would not return to the campaign trail for the 2016 Games even if the they reinstate the RS:X Class. However, if kite racing is the next board class for Brazil, Farrah Hall said she would campaign for a US Olympic berth. Shereported to the Annapolis Patch: "It's disappointing, because I've put so much time and effort into this sport (windsurfing) —eight years now," she said. "I'd like to see that progress continue into Rio. But that may not happen." On the bright side, Hall said everyone involved with windsurfing would be starting out on the same footing by learning the ins and outs of kiteboarding over the next four years. That could create new opportunities. New stars could rise, she said. "The majority of people coming to kiteboarding would be ex-Olympic windsurfers, and they would radically change the sport," Hall said.

Monday, September 17, 2012

There's a new trend in board design. And so far, 3 windsurfing companies have brought to market this new kind of board. The board makers call the new category freemove. These freemove boards share some common features. They are all wide for their volume; have thin rails and short lengths; claim early planing mojo; and tout a special zeal for turning and easy jibing.

This new freemove group was started when RRD introduced the Firemove in 2011. And this year, similarly styled boards were also made by Fanatic: the Gecko and Exocet: the XCross. RRD must be really confident of this concept because the Firemove characteristics are showing up in some of their other board lines.

A & O Sports reported: This was 'THE' standout in the Spring test (2011 WindSurfing Magazine) in Cape Hatteras this year. By far
the most testers picked this board as one of their favorites. The best quote
from the test has to be: "We. Want. This. Board. Everybody wants this board." Or
maybe :"Awesome in every way. quick to plane and speedy with control.” Or maybe:
"the RRD offered endless thrills in the least amount of wind, and often in the
most wind. An absolute blast."

James Lawrence reported "...this board does not sail at all like it looks. Firstly it gets on the plane effortlessly, even when you can barely feel the wind (I weigh about 82KG and was using an Ezzy Freeride 3 in 7.5m), second it is very fast and stable through the chop with the straps in their middle setting, and thirdly, it turns effortlessly like a much narrower board maintaining a lot of speed through the carve. It really does feel like you are sailing a different board than the one you are looking at..."

John Skye added: "The RRD Firemove 100 is so versatile I have used it in loads of different conditions. Everything from small waves, bump and jump style, through to flat water slalom style blasting with big sails. As the Firemove is wider than normal, you have to basically add about 10-15L to the volume to get an idea of its relative size..."

Exocet: The XCross comes in 2 different volumes with one construction. The volume - width - length dimensions: [115 - 75 - 240 ] · [130 - 82 - 240]. This board just recently made it to the U.S. Contact Sandy Point Progressive Sports for details.

It's a new board and I haven't found any real reviews. I did run into the local Exocet team rider who was sailing the 82 wide XCross. The wind died, so no board testing results. The report below is more an explanation of potential than experience. The Windsurfing Shed from Australia reported: "The program for the Xcross is freeride/bump & jump and occasionally some small waves. The rails are really thin (same as the USurf 62), a fair bit of V but still quite a straight rocker. The volume is low compared to the board width. This versatile concept should be fun."

Long time, Fanatic Shaper Sebastian Wenzel talks about his recent creation: "To say this board is cutting-edge is an understatement – the ultra-thin rail edges let you dig as deep as you want in turns and extra width will save you from buying a bigger sail. If you’re looking for a board that planes early, with a balanced, compact outline to jump, slide and carve like never before all with way less volume – then the Gecko’s your perfect playmate."

Tips & Tricks · Ever been waiting in the whitewater when the next set forces you to dive for safety and you come up to find your mast is broken? ~ Need some help with your bottom turn in onshore winds? ~ You've seen the better sailors fast tack. Now learn how. ~ Does it ever end, the help we need with jibes?

Sunday, September 2, 2012

The 2012 Kona N. A. Championships were hosted by Kona Midwest and local windsurfing org, Fleet 8, which was started 40 years ago in 1972. This event was financially supported by many non windsurfing sponsors. The championship was raced on Lake Waconia, August 23 - 26, in the western suburbs of Minneapolis, Minnesota. 53 racers registered for the competition. Joachim Larsson, who lives in Sweden and is owner of the Kona One raceboard brand, took the top honors in the 10 race regatta. "Racing Kona is tight since the board speed doesn't vary much with the sailor skill, so the tactical decisions make more difference than in other classes. This made for interesting racing, especially in the last two races where we had the entire fleet of 50+ on the course" explained Arden Anderson.

This was how they overcame and had a successful championship: "Credit over a dozen sponsors including the title sponsor, Lola’s Lakehouse who hosted a fantastic Welcome Party on Thursday. The only thing missing on Thursday was the container of 33 charter boards that had been held up for over a week on the U.S. border in North Dakota only because it shared a rail car with another container that was not customs legal...Switch to Plan B. After cleaning up from severe weather from Thursday evening, registration was completed and competitors were assigned their designated sail rigs. Between Fleet 8 and Kona Midwest, we had 15 boards. Fortunately, there were another 11 boards from competitors who brought their own and were willing to share. That allowed for splitting everyone into four groups with equal number of sail/weight groups in each. The plan was to have each pair of groups do two races, then repeat with a different combination of groups. With the later start, four races were completed on Friday with everyone getting to race twice..." Regatta Results

The Twin Cities Pioneer Press offered a sobering view of our sport: "Before snowboarding and stand-up paddle boards and obstacle course racing,
there was windsurfing, the hot new sport that captured the Twin Cities way back
when we had a president named Reagan.
Now windsurfer sightings on local lakes are about as common as seeing someone
on a pair of inline skates. (Remember those?)
But this weekend, a band of die-hard sailboarders from the U.S. and Canada
have gathered in the Twin Cities for a championship sailing regatta that they
hope will help begin to restore the fortunes of a sport that has faded from
public view...The article goes on to explain that the Kona Class is hoping to help revitalize interest in windsurfing via the easy to use and learn appeal of a longboard.

The StarTribuneinterviewed the event organizer: "To Michael Fox the 1980s weren't defined by hair bands or President Reagan. Fox, who lives on Lake Minnetonka, remembers the decade as the golden age of windsurfing, with the Twin Cities home to one of the most vibrant windsurfing scenes around. 'In the '80s, windsurfing just exploded here' he said. Now Fox is determined to help the sport regain its edge"...The Sun Patriot added morecoverage of the event by getting a perspective on the sport, racing and the Kona longboard from Rob Evan, a local 36 year windsurfing veteran.

The 2012 Techno 293 World Championship ran from August 11 - 18 in Medemblik, Netherlands. This was the largest gathering of young racers this year. For the last couple of years, Patrik Pollak has documented these gatherings with a multitude of brilliant video reports. He summed up this year: "Future ? This is the future. Why? Because it is fair racing and fun. Numbers prove it! Present stars of Techno are future stars of windsurfing. Some of them won their first world title here in Medemblik...339 kids, 29 countries, 6 continents, 5 days, 4 new junior world titles, 3 courses, 2 Olympic champions, 1 board..." From the last day of this year's championship:

The 2012 Formula Worlds were held at Liepaja, Latvia from August 20 - 26. Only one American, Micah Buzianis, made the long trek to the eastern shore of the Baltic Sea. PWA British Pro Ross Williams won the event. Przemyslaw Miarcynski, who won an Olympic Bronze Medal in the RS:X Class, also finished 3rd over all at the Worlds. The big winner was the event itself which attracted a robust crowd of 119 competitors.

Congratulations to the Formula Class for the new and improved relaunch of the website Follow The Winds which chronicles all things Formula. Here's a taste of the recent Worlds from Latvia:

The RS:X Class, after a very successful Olympics, awaits their request from a London Court for judicial review of the ISAF decision. Of course, the big event is set for the Annual Meeting in November and the hope is for chance to have the ISAF reconsider its exile of the RS:X from the Olympic stage. David Legatt of the NZ Herald has written often about the ongoing kerfuffle. He recently wrote: "...the general feeling among those favouring a reversal is that it will be tough to pull off. A first vote requires 75 per cent support for the original decision to be revisited. A rough estimate has about eight votes having to change. The difficulty for the pro-windsurfing lobby is that countries such as Spain, United States and Australia see kiteboarding as their best bet for future success..." Legatt added: "The Rio Olympic organisers have plumped for a site near the Brazilian city's airport noted for having barely any breeze. What it does have over the other option - a couple of hours away and noted for more substantial winds - is proximity to the Olympic headquarters."

Have you followed this story and wondered where Kite Racing will get an Olympic calibre field of competitors the size of the RS:X Class? Ironically, some prominent names in the RS:X Class have said, that if windsurfing is gone from the Olympics, then they will compete in the new kiting discipline. Adding to the irony, kiting will introduce Olympic sailing to a new paradigm; one that is not constrained by the conventional one design concept. Kite Racing, which will not be a one design class, could provide a path for the Formula Class to enter the Olympics in 2020. Back in 2005, when the RS:X was chosen for the Olympics, Formula was ruled out because it was not a one design class.

Congratulations to Bob Willis and Happy Trails. His heartfelt Olympic good bye: "For the past 2 months or so, I have been getting a lot of questions about whether I will continue to compete in windsurfing (if it comes back), kiteboarding or any other Olympic sailing class. As of right now I can confidently say that I do not plan on pursuing an Olympic gold in 2016. I love competing, I love the training and this has been an incredible journey, but there are other avenues in life that I am eager to explore. Thank You

I may have been the only American competing in the men’s RSX class for the Olympic Games; however, it took an immense army of supporters for me to get to the games. Even though I compete in an individual sport, there has been a huge team supporting me every step of the way. I know I can’t say this enough, but I would like to extend a very special Olympic “thank you” to everybody who has helped me along this journey. I am so fortunate to have had such strong support and I truly enjoyed sharing these moments with all of you. Finally a most sincere thank you to my parents, who put up with my crazy dreams for way to long and my coach, Peter Wells, who continued to inspire and train me to fulfill my crazy dreams!"

Thanks to Windsport and Mr. Splashtack for making this happen. Just zoom the page to read.